Meeting the Karmic Condition of the “Holy Assembly of 100 Sessions” after Fulfilling My Vow of Becoming a Monastic

On January 15, 2017, I attended the annual celebration of “H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Day” held by the H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Cultural and Art Museum. After the celebration, we monastics suddenly received a notice to be prepared for holding Buddhist ceremonies. When we arrived at the site, we learned that Elder Dharma Master Yin Hai (also known as Master Xiao Ming), who was the Chief Teacher of Tripitaka of Sutras, Vinayas, and Shastras of the World Buddhism Association Headquarters (WBAH), had entered nirvana in a sitting position with perfect merit and cultivation!

In my memory, there were many times when I stood in front of the billboard at the Sanger Mission viewing a photo that caught my attention. In that picture, many monastics and rinpoches were standing around a loving, kind, and amicable elderly one. This revered elderly one is Master Xiao Ming, the great holy venerable Elder Dharma Master Yin Hai. I had already heard about some uncommon true stories about the Elder Dharma Master. At that time, I could only generate my respect in my heart and dared not have an intention of getting closer to Him. I could never imagined that the first meeting I have now is also the last time. The Elder Dharma Master left us. Now, living beings and I have lost a respected great teacher, and this world has lost a top-level great holy monk. I truly wish the current situation had not occurred.

After Elder Dharma Master Yin Hai’s holy body was rested for worshipping at the funeral home, the World Buddhism Association Headquarters (WBAH) scheduled Buddhist disciples to guard in front of the Elder Dharma Master’s flesh body day and night. They chanted the holy name of Kuan Yin Bodhisattva in shifts without a pause. Also, three grand dharma assemblies were held at three fixed times every day. Every day, in addition to attending the three dharma assemblies, I also chanted the holy name of Kuan Yin Bodhisattva with quite a few dharma brothers at the fixed time of 1am after midnight. During this period, the Elder Dharma Master’s revered face appeared dried, thin and aged, with concave cheeks and deep wrinkles. Occasionally, a silly idea would emerge from my mentality of an ordinary person, “Why is the nirvana of a holy monk so commonplace? Can ordinary persons like me do the Buddhist work for the holy monk?”

A few days later, Elder Dharma Master Yin Hai’s holy body was welcomed back to the temple and rested at the Kuan Yin Hall for worshipping. Buddhist disciples continued chanting the holy name of Kuan Yin Bodhisattva day and night without interruption. Not long after that, Buddhist disciples performing the rituals of the dharma at the site noticed that the Elder Dharma Master began a total transformation in His body. The flesh body manifested miraculous changes day by day. Some people also saw the emission of light and/or smelled special fragrant scent.

On the 11th day after the Elder Dharma Master’s entering nirvana, several dharma masters and rinpoches received a permission from His Holiness the Buddha to touch and press the holy monk’s flesh body. They found that the body was as hard as a stone. All of them were greatly astounded and prostrated to pay respect. They were full of praises and shared their experience with everyone, “The Holy Venerable’s revered body has accomplished a Vajra uncorrupted body.” Upon hearing that, all Buddhist disciples who were present were full of the joy of the dharma.

Every day after midnight, when the dharma brothers and I were chanting the holy name of the Bodhisattva, the spot I stood allowed me to see the Elder Dharma Master’s face directly most of the time. Therefore, I was able to see more clearly the miraculous transformation taking place day by day. From time to time, dharma brothers signaled one another by eyes, “Look, the holy body changed again!”

Elder Dharma Master Yin Hai’s holy body exhibited a calm and peaceful expression, as if He was in a state of concentration. A few days later, all wrinkles on His face disappeared and the facial complexion turned from pale to moistly ruddy. Lust was seen from the muscles and the bone frame became full and filled. The entire appearance turned more and more magnificent and majestic. Even the beard grew longer and denser and had new strains grown. The situation was truly inconceivable!

People all know that all body functions stop after one’s death. Muscles would immediately become loose and lessened and all organs would gradually corrupt and decay. The body would then spread very stinky smells. The situation can only become more and more terrible and could never turn into a better look. This was always true when I saw the remains of my relatives and friends in the past. As I was with the Elder Dharma Master’s holy body every day and facing the holy feat of such miraculous transformation occurring from the Ender Monk’s flesh body after entering nirvana, I now understood. I felt ashamed of my ignorance and repented the stupid idea I had before.

The holy feat of miraculous transformation manifested by Elder Dharma Master Yin Hai after entering nirvana is an unprecedented holy event and created a new record on nirvana in the history of Buddhism. The Elder Dharma Master is a top-level holy monk through the last several thousand years. The source of His dharma came from H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. By practicing the Buddha-dharma from H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, He realized tremendously great accomplishment that is unparalleled in the world. To tell the truth clearly, ordinary persons like me cannot even compare to a thin strain of hair of the Elder Dharma Master. How could we have any qualification to perform the dharma ritual for the holy monk? What we did was presenting the offering of practicing the dharma through chanting sutras, mantras, and holy names and dedicating the merit to receive the merit returned to us from the empowerment bestowed by the holy monk at the site!

During the dharma assembly, Wang Zha Shang Zun who is at the level of Golden Button Grade 3 made the announcement, “The Holy Assembly of 100 Sessions is not an ordinary dharma assembly. Those who attended the Holy Assembly of 100 Sessions have tremendously great merit and have the qualification to promote one’s grade level and to receive the Initiation of Dharma Affinity with the Yidam.”

When I heard this most exciting happy news, my emotion was extremely high. I am very grateful to Holy Venerable Yin Hai for empowering us at the site with tremendously great power of merit. This short period of attending the holy assembly bestowed me such magnificent reward of good fortune to receive in this lifetime the Initiation of Dharma Affinity with the Yidam that otherwise would not be possible even after practicing Buddha-dharma for hundreds of lifetimes!

Now that the Holy Assembly of 100 Sessions has been perfectly concluded. I thought back what I experienced carefully. What virtue or ability did I possess for me to have such great good fortune and karmic condition to attend the Holy Assembly of 100 Sessions? That was due to the vow I made three years ago to become a monastic to join the sangha and learn true Buddha-dharma for attaining liberation and accomplishment. I also wanted to devote myself to bear the undertaking of the Tathagata. As a result, I gave up the worldly life and came to America to learn Buddhism. Only because of that, I had the magnificent karmic condition to witness the holy feat of the great miraculous transformation manifested by Holy Monk Yin Hai after His entering nirvana and to attend the Holy Assembly of 100 Sessions!